1352. Mirror Images, Part 3PUBLICATION: Star Trek: Mirror Images #3, IDW Comics, September 2008
CREATORS: Scott and David Tipton (writers), David Messina (artist)
STARDATE: Unknown (around 2333, concurrent with Picard taking command of the Stargazer)
PLOT: In 2333, the ISS Starbreaker is cornered by Cardassian-Klingon Alliance ships. When Jack Crusher is killed in the attack, conn officer Picard acts on his feelings about his "neutered" empire and kills the Vulcan captain. Taking command, he gets his ship out of the hot water using a creative warp maneuver. He then announces to the crew that they will no longer follow the Empire's orders and will act as a rogue ship, giving the Alliance a bloody nose any chance they get.
CONTINUITY: See previous issues (Mirror Universe). In the MU, the Stargazer (The Battle) is redubbed the Starbreaker. Jack Crusher still serves aboard (and still dies). Young Picard looks like Shinzon on the cover (Nemesis). Mirror Picard also created the Picard Maneuver and took command of the ship when its captain died (The Battle). Spock is still on the throne in 2333 (Mirror, Mirror). The Alliance was first seen in Crossover.
DIVERGENCES: The TOS novel The Sorrows of Empire would have the Alliance defeat the Terran Empire in 2295.
PANEL OF THE DAY - Mirror Picard is of course a potty mouth.
REVIEW: It is very strange to have an interlude in the middle of a mini-series like this. Sure, Picard's "promotion" is an echo of Kirk's own and may inform it, but that link is tenuous. That said, it's really cool. Not only do we get to see a Mirror Picard in a Mirror Universe that fits in canon (as opposed to the novel Dark Mirror, which was later contradicted by Deep Space Nine episodes), but also a rare look at the beginning of the end for the Terran Empire. We discover the Empire lasted into the era between the movies and TNG, and Picard's rogue crew are set up for their own spin-off. I wouldn't mind it, and the Brothers Tipton could import some other contemporaries of Picard's, like a young Beverly or Jellico. As part of the mini, it's a weird break from the main story. It's not Part 3 of anything. But it makes me want to see an anthology that features each possible Mirror crew, I'd say it works as a stand-alone story.
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